After four years SEPTA reinstated parking fees this past Monday with a phased in approach Lower Bucks regional rail riders who use the regional rail parking lots will not be impacted until October 7 according plan released last week.
The implementation begins at the Croydon and Cornwells Heights regional rail parking lots on October 7, followed by the Langhorne and Yardley stations on October Wednesday October 9. Trevose and Neshaminy Falls stations on October 17; and the Bristol, Levittown stations on November 4.
Parking lot fees were suspended in 2020 to attract customers back to the transit system when the pandemic hit, officials said, wanting to keep it free as long as possible in the hopes of rebuilding ridership officials said.
In addition to paying by license plate through the app, customers can use credit/debit cards and coins at kiosks, as well as a text-to-pay option. Vehicles must be parked so the license plate is visible from the parking aisles.
Detailed instructions will be posted at stations, and SEPTA ambassadors will be onsite to answer questions. Parking Enforcement Officers will read license plates using vehicle-mounted cameras. Violations or warnings will be issued for illegally parked vehicles.
The reinstated parking fees are:
Surface Lots (96 SEPTA-owned locations): $2 per day, which is up from the previous cost of $1 per day.
Garages (3 locations: Frankford Transportation Center, Norristown Transportation Center, and Lansdale Station): $4 per day, which is up from the previous cost of $2 per day.
Parking at surface lots will remain free on weekends and major holidays.
File Image: SEPTA Regional Rail Station
Credit: Jeff Bohen, Lower Bucks Source
In June, the SEPTA Board awarded a $12.3 million contract to Flowbird America Inc. to develop a new, state-of-the-art parking system that will streamline fee collection and improve customer convenience.
To see the complete implementation schedule please click here.
SEPTA announced last month ticket sales at the Langhorne ticketing office would be discontinued as of last Friday.
The transportation company said in August system-wide ridership for that month was 76% of pre-COVID June 2019 ridership. This is the highest recovery rate since the start of the pandemic
System-wide ridership increased 19% from August 2023. On average there were approximately 102,229 more trips per day in August 2024 compared to August 2023, a spokesman said.
Regional Rail ridership recovery is at 65%, as of August 2024, when compared to the pre-COVID August 2019 totals.
SEPTA has scheduled a round of public hearings to announce proposed fare hikes, including the elimination of a number of discounts, as the Authority faces a $240 million annual budget deficit, officials say. The hearings regarding the proposed fare adjustments are on October 16 at 10 am and 4 pm. Members of the public may attend the Fare Hearings in-person in the Board Room at SEPTA Headquarters, 1234 Market Street, Mezzanine Level, Philadelphia, PA 19107 or remotely via WebEx. Additional information regarding the fare modifications and details on how individuals can register to attend via WebEx has be posted on the Authority’s website: www.septa.org/notice.
Locals can submit comments via email on the proposed fare modifications to operatingbudget@septa.org, provide oral comments via voicemail by calling 215-580-7772, or file written comments by mailing to the Director of Operating Budgets, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, 1234 Market St., 9th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107. All comments and testimony received will become part of the public record and will be forwarded to the Hearing Examiner. To be included in the official public record, comments must be received by Friday, October 18, 2024, at 5 pm.
Credit: Submitted
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